Back to Work

For those of you who haven't heard, I went back to work part time in the inpatient pharmacy at the hospital where Brian does most of his rotations.

Here is the background: Out of high school I was accepted to University of Houston's pharmacy school. At the same time, Tyler Junior College offered me a full ride scholarship which paid for tution, books plus a profit of about $200 each month. Being the practical girl that I am, I thought I'd stay home and make money rather than incur lots of debt. Meanwhile, I got a job at a local drug store. The two pharmacists who worked there worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week split between the two of them. They counted pills and read magazines. It was the most boring thing I'd ever witnessed. I decided not to go to pharmacy school.

Since then, I've learned two things that I wished I'd known back then. First, after Tyler was born, I met many parttime professional moms who worked one or two days a week and were home the rest of the time. A part time career wasn't something I'd ever heard of at the time. It was either full time or nothing, and I sure didn't want to count pills and read magazines 7 days a week! Second, after Brian started working in the hospital, he told me about what the pharmacists do there. I realized it was in the hospital where I would find the chemistry and patient care that drew me to the field in the first place.

So, I took the pharmacy technican exam, applied at the hospital, and got the job! I work 2-3 days a week second shift. On the days I work, a sitter picks up the girls from school and is here with the 3 kids for the couple of hours overlap until Brian gets home. So far, so good!

During our last two remaining years here in WI, I'm planning to take the few prerequisites I'm missing to apply to pharmacy school 3 years from now, when we will live somewhere long enough to make it happen. It feels great to have a new direction. I feel like I've come full circle. I had to take the long route to get my cake (my wonderful husband and kids) and to eat it, too (get back into pharmacy).